Democrats and Republicans have one thing in common when it comes to raising the federal government’s debt ceiling: They each frame the standoff as an illustration of the other’s fiscal irresponsibility.

To Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the answer is straightforward: If Democrats wish to go it alone and pass a $3.5 trillion spending bill through reconciliation, they should also use that budget tool to raise the debt ceiling and pass it exclusively with Democratic votes.